Stirrup.



PATENTED SEPT. 15, 1903.

M. H. GREEN.

STIRRIIP. APPLIQATIOH FILED AUG. 24. 1901.

'I0 MODEL.

91 9111? "eases z NORRIS PETERS 00.. more-um UNITED STATES Patented September 15, 1903;}

MILTON H. GREEN, OF GLEN, NEBRASKA,

STIRRUP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,170, dated September 15, 1903. Application filed August 24, 1901. Serial No. 73,15 6. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MILTON H. GREEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Glen, in the county of Sioux and State of Nebraska,

have invented new and useful Improvements in Stirrups, of which the following is a speci-;

fication.

This invention relates to stirrups; and the main object of'the same is to provide adevice of this class having a'structure which will materially avoid the danger of a riders foot becoming caught therein in the event of a horse falling or running away, and, further, to provide a broad bearing for the foot and means for limiting the forward movement of.

the foot to overcome any tendency to a binding action of the stirrup on the instep.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a stirrup embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the center of the same.

Similarnum erals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the views.

The numeral 1 designates a stirrup-iron comprising a hanger-bar 2 and downwardlydiverging side members 3, continuing into a horizontal cross-bar 4, the side members and cross-bar being constructed from a fiat metal bar or a piece of strap-iron. Y

The essential feature of the invention comprises a tread-piece, which is in the form of an open skeleton frame, having parallel side bars 5 of flat metal or strap-iron connected at the rear ends by a horizontally-disposed heelstop 6, located in the main below the lower edges of the bars 5. The front ends of the bars 5 are secured to each other by a transverselycxtending toe-rest 7, also formed from flat metal or strap-iron and disposed above the upper edges of the side bars 5, and said toe-rest has its central portion inclined upwardly and forwardly. The extremities of the heel-stop 6 are bent upwardly, as at 8, and secured against the outer sides of the bars 5 by rivets 9. The extremities of the toe-rest 7 are bent downwardly at an angle, as at 10, and secured against the outer sides of the bars by rivets 11.

In the side bars 5 slots 12 are formed, one in each bar, the said slots being transversely alined and located adjacent to the toe-rest 7. Each slot has central fulcrum-angles 13, and from the said angles the upper and lower walls respectively incline upwardly and downwardly to the end walls of said slots. The form of the slots, as set forth, permits a limited rocking movement of the cross-bar or tread-piece 4 of the stirrup-iron to prevent the said tread-piece from becoming disposed fully in a vertical position. Consequently the tread-piece is always arranged to receive the foot of the rider. The ball of the foot of the rider restson the cross-bar of the stirrupiron, the toe of the foot bears upon the inclined portion of the toe-rest, and the heel of the shoe engages the rear edge of the heelstop 6 to limit the forward movement of the foot of the rider, and the upper fiat surface of the said heel-stop bears against the shank portion of the sole of the boot or shoe of the rider. By having the heel of the boot or shoe of the rider come in contact with the rear edge of the heel-stop 6 the foot is prevented from being projected too far through the stirrup-iron and will not bind at any point in the latter, and hence in the event of a horse falling or running away the riders foot will be loose enough to be readily disengaged from the stirrup, and this will be facilitated by the suspension of the tread-piece or skeleton frame through the medium of the fulcrum-angles l3 engaging the upper surface of the horizontal cross-bar & of the stirrup-iron? Moreover, by preventing the treadpiece or skeleton frame from assuming a vertical position the improved stirrup will always be in condition for conveniently slipping the foot thereinto when mounting a horse or in withdrawing the foot therefrom when a dismount is made.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is The combination with a stirrup-iron having a flat horizontally-disposed tread member, of a tread-piece comprising parallel side bars held in rigid spaced relation by a rear horizontally-disposed heel-stop located below the lower edges of said side bars, and a front toerest above the upper edges of the said side bars, the central portion of the toe-rest being inclined forwardly and upwardly, the preventing it from assuminga vertical posi- [0 side bars adjacent to their front ends having tion in relation to the tread member of the slots therein, one in each, the upper and stirrup-iron.

lower walls of said slots respectively inclin- I In testimony whereof I aflix my signature ing downwardly and upwardly to central in presence of two witnesses.

fulcrum projections, the upper projections MILTON H. GREEN. bearing on the upper surface of the tread Witnesses:

member of the stirrup-iron and permitting THOS. S. SMITH,

the tread-piece to have free movement but JOHN W. ROWLAND. 

